Foreign caregivers still waiting for open work permits

OTTAWA — The federal government seems to be having a tough time delivering on a promise to live-in caregivers who were told in December that they no longer would have to wait for an open work permit once their contract is up.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced with fanfare that the government had introduced processing changes that would ensure foreign nannies who had completed the requisite two years of work would be able to get their open work permits almost immediately once they'd applied for permanent residency, rather than being forced to wait some 18 months.

Five months later, however, stakeholders say many caregivers are still waiting and officials aren't able to offer any concrete timelines.

"They're trying to make it quicker but there's no estimation of time as to when (caregivers) will receive (the open work permit)," one Citizenship and Immigration call centre agent told Postmedia News.

Another agent blamed "too much volume" for delays and noted it wouldn't be unusual for somebody to wait four months — but 10 months, and certainly 18 months, would be out of the ordinary, adding they were instructed not to provide specific timelines.

Manuela Gruber Hersch, president of the Association of Caregiver and Nanny Agencies Canada which seeks to set ethical standards for the industry, said she's spoken with a number of concerned caregivers in recent weeks.

Shortly after Kenney's announcement, caregivers were receiving their open work permits within two or three weeks, she said, but many are now waiting much longer. Moreover, the issuing of permits seems to be inconsistent as some get it in two months, while others can wait eight.

Call centre agents she's spoken with have suggested there are not enough staff members to keep up with demand and that the government was wrong to make a promise it couldn't keep.

"It's just a pattern, right, with Kenney. Promising the moon and he can't deliver at the end," Gruber Hersch said, noting some caregivers quit their jobs anticipating their open work permit would be in hand before long.

"Ultimately, this inconsistency of open work permits puts great stress on families and caregivers because they can't plan their lives accordingly. Families need to have consistent and secure childcare in place and the caregivers need to arrange for their lives after being a caregiver."

Government officials insist the average processing time as of April 25 was about 71 days and that open work permits are still being issued 18 months sooner than they used to.

While officials say it's hard to state exactly how many open work permit applications remain in the queue awaiting processing, they say there were 2,367 permanent residence applications as of April 25.

Caregivers enter Canada as temporary foreign workers and become eligible to apply for permanent residence once they've completed two years, or 3,900 hours of work, within a four-year period.

At that point they become eligible to apply for permanent residency and an open work permit.

The open work permit is the reason many decide to leave their families behind and commit to living with and caring for a Canadian family. Once they have it, they're free to live wherever they like, seek work in any field and, after becoming permanent residents, sponsor their relatives.

The processing change announced in December ultimately meant caregivers no longer would have to wait for initial approval of their application for permanent residence before being eligible for an open work permit.

Kenney indicated at the time that the change would "help caregivers settle into their new life in Canada while they wait for their permanent resident applications to be processed."

In less than a week, Abbotsford recording artists Hedley went from touring Canada with two supporting acts and a popular new album to pariahs ensnared in allegations of sexual misconduct. On Monday, accusations that band members Jacob Hoggard, Dave Rosin, Tommy Mac and Jay Benison had engaged in sexual behaviour with teenage girls surfaced on Twitter […]

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.